An aircraft landing gear can include an axle for supporting wheel and brake assemblies. It is common for a main landing gear to include two or more axles on a bogie beam. Wheel and brake assemblies are mounted on each axle, each brake assembly being arranged to apply a braking force to a wheel assembly in order to slow the aircraft while it is on the ground.
As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, a brake torque is generated as a brake assembly transmits a braking force to the wheel assembly. It is common for a brake assembly to be mounted so as to be free to rotate relative to the axle on which it is mounted. It is therefore necessary to provide means by which the brake torque can be reacted, to inhibit the brake assembly from rotating with the wheel assembly during application of the braking force.
In this regard, it is known to provide a brake rod to react brake torque generated as a brake assembly applies a braking force to a wheel assembly. A brake rod connects a brake assembly to an anchor point on the landing gear such that the brake rod reacts brake torque either in tension or in compression.
In the case of multi axle landing gear, it is common for brake rods to be provided below and parallel with respect to the bogie beam. As such, a lower region of the main strut sliding tube or “slider” is provided with attachment lugs which define an anchor point to which the brake rods can be coupled. Brake assemblies are generally designed to be mounted on an axle in a particular orientation corresponding to this arrangement.
However, the present inventors have identified that known landing gear assemblies can result in a lack of flexibility in terms of selection of an anchor point.